Since October 2009 I have regularly spent time in rural Andhra Pradesh, one of the least visited states in India. I run creative workshops there in 2 orphanages called Daddy’s Home and Butterfly Hill beside the village of Buddavaram and near the city of Vijayawada.

During my stay I am regularly bombarded with requests for photos, from men, women, children, young and old…everyone loves to have their photo taken. I am almost never asked for money, or even for the photo itself, people just want to see the picture on the camera and that is enough. The requests come both in the countryside and in the city.

Originally I was a little frustrated, a documentary or more candid style of photograph was almost impossible. As soon as people became aware of my camera (and as the only non Indian there, I stood out), they would pick themselves up and pose. I quickly came to realise that this was a truly unique and privileged gift for me, the people who asked were always interesting and always very photogenic. I never directed them, other that for lighting reasons and they chose the poses themselves, here are just a few of them:

I was so glad when the mother asked for her photo to be taken, the child looked like a little hindu god…

Simple ask and shoot in Vijayawada at dusk, he then invited me inside to photograph the garland makers.

She asked for a picture and then was incredibly grateful after I had taken it.

On the road to Vijayawada, her sari matched her wares.

Lady in Blue

This lady went to a lot of trouble to open up her shed/stall so that I could get a better shot.

Imagine this place open since dawn (it is now 6 in the evening) with absolutely no refrigeration and a temperature that is always in the 30’s. Flies and mosquitoes everywhere, a stench so putrid it almost becomes a solid mass. Such a contrast, these huge, plump, beautiful, even healthy looking fish, the stench, the silver blue colours and the flies… and everyone very proud of their catch with many, many requests for photos…

Simple pose and shoot from a garbage collector, you can see his colleague in the background holding up the bags, I took her photo later.

Shanthi Sree

she was dressed as a peacock for a dance recital.

Simple pose and shoot in Gannavaram.

Soap

Golconda fort, just outside Hyderabad - an indian soap opera was being filmed. He was one of the actors.

She was sitting with a group of people by the road near the river in Buddavaram. The powder on her forehead was the most vivid fuchsia pink i have ever seen and it matched her sari.

A do at the orphanage in Buddavaram, they were dancing for the camera and wanted a thousand photos taken, in between, the boy on the right spent most of his time on my knee. Being orphans, these kids really relished human contact.

High school girls from Ibrahimpatnam who were fascinated by my hair, which they think is much more beautiful than theirs despite the fact that it is the same style of two braids and is dark brown rather than black. I was quickly surrounded and although they were lovely, I thought they were going to consume me with their curiosity…

Bhavani Deeksha

Hindu pilgrims on the banks of the krishna river in Vijayawada, they called me over asking for photos and begun singing and chanting. Kids look a bit sad in the photo, but that is not how I remember them being...

The Naughty Children

They may look angelic…they weren’t, but they were hugely photogenic and accomplished posers. They followed me for ages and I took a lot of pictures of them. They were on their way home from school to the village round the lake in Buddavaram.

Three girls on the way to school asked for this photo. They arranged themselves beautifully. The flower had just been given to me by a boy in the village who had also asked for his photo to be taken.